Stress can decrease fertility and lengthen the time to conceive
Various studies have been carried out on the stress associated with the difficulty of getting pregnant and with very conflicting if not diametrically opposed results.
I think you have experienced on your own skin that, following months of unsuccessful attempts, they definitely increase stress and the fear of not being able to have children.
New research published in 2014 in Human Reproduction has shown that increased levels of stress can decrease a woman’s fertility .
The findings are the result of joint work between the Ohio State University College of Medicine, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
Ohio State University scientists measured the levels of two biological markers of stress, cortisol and alpha-amylase, in the saliva of nearly 400 women.
Of the couples participating in the study, 87% were able to conceive a child within 12 months of trying while 13% did not, thus falling within infertile couples.
Women with higher values of the two markers were 29% less likely to be able to get pregnant than those with low values.
In addition to saliva collection, which however was done for only a month of attempts, the couples were also asked to keep a diary in which to indicate how they felt.
Stress probably also negatively affects male fertility. There are some findings that would indicate a decrease in sperm counts in the event of stress but more data is needed to confirm this.
In women, however, it seems clear that stress affects her ability to ovulate each month and therefore her ability to get pregnant. To combat stress, doctors usually recommend regular exercise, yoga , meditation, as well as quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.
And obviously also try not to worry excessively because otherwise the classic “dog chasing its tail” occurs: I can’t get pregnant (so I get stressed) and stress decreases fertility. A vicious circle from which there is no way out.
The study is not complete in the sense that the researchers were unable, due to data collection problems, to determine whether the women’s stress levels increased in parallel with their failure to get pregnant.
This was the first American research to find an association between biological markers of stress and increased success times in getting pregnant. It was also the first study in the world to show a real association between stress and infertility.
It has long been known that stress negatively affects health. Now we know that it affects, and it has been demonstrated, also the reproductive one.
Solution? It really depends on you: relax as much as possible!
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.